Wheel play indicator



P. A. PICKERING 2,717,450

WHEEL PLAY INDICATOR Filed April 16, 1953 Sept. 13, 1955 [l1 l I I "n I, I KO /7 J I... /9 m" /4 lnrenfar ,PHUL, R. Pmxanme A tarlzey.

2,111,450 WHEEL PLAY INDICATOR Paul A. Pickering, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application April '16, 1953, Serial No. 349,255 I Claims; .ci. 33-16 9) '11 This invention relates to devices for indicating-the amount of play in vehicle wheels and has for its principal object the provisionof improved device for indicating the amount of play in the front wheels of an automobile.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such an improved device which is simple in structural detail, positive and efficient in operation and which can be quickly and inexpensively manufactured;

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully hereinafter, it being understood that said invention cohsis'ts'siib'stantially in the construction as described in detail in the followin specification, as shown in the accompanying drawings and as finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which is illustrative of a preferred construction embodyingthe principles of the present invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device;

Figure 2 is an elevational view showing the device engaged with a jacked up front automobile wheel;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on line 55 of Figure 1 showing the device engaged with a jacked up front automobile wheel and showing, in broken lines, the lowered position of the gauge arm;

Figure 4 is similar to Figure 2 but shows the gauge arm in its lowered position and illustrates, by broken lines, the wheel play to be indicated; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing, a device embodying the pres ent invention is shown in the form of a base member which mounts a gauge element 11.

The member 10 comprises a horizontally extending part in the form of a triangularly shaped plate 12 which carries a standard in the form of an elongated plate element 13. The plate 12 is supported on a set of three short legs 14, and the element 13 is supported on the plate 12 in upright position, the lower end portion thereof being rigidly connected in any conventional manner to a portion of the plate 12 at one of the apices thereof. The element 13 is thus .disposed with its frontal edge 15 extending vertically. Preferably, the upper end portion of the element 13 slopes downwardly and rearwardly, as at 16, shown in Figure 3.

The gauge element 11 is in the form of an elongated flat plate, one end portion of which is pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of the element 13 for swinging movement about the horizontally disposed axis of a pivot pin 17 between a raised position and a. lowered position, the elements 11 and 13 being thereby disposed in parallel, face to face contacting relation. It will be noted that the element 11 is somewhat wider than the element 13 and that their pivoted relationship is such that when the element 11 is in its raised position, its frontal edge 18 is spaced forwardly of the corresponding edge 15 of the element 13. The pivot pin 17 is so disposed that when the element 11 is in its raised position as shown in Figures 1 and 3, its center of gravity is in front of the 2,717,450 Patented Sept. 13, 1955 a 2 pivot pin enzlso tends to shift the element 11 frontally of itssupport 1s.- To limit this shifting movement of the angeelenientiI- trontaJI of the supporting element 13 and to pbilitipil their edges 18 and 15 in parallel relation, tie-shown i'n'Figllre's 1 and 3, Stop means is pro; vided which includes a stop element 19 projecting out or the plane "of "the element '11 and suitably arranged to ei'l'ga-g''the sloping 16p edge 16 of the element 13.

The end"portion of element 11 which is pivotally seeur' dto the element 13 is rounded, as at 20, so that in the lowered position or the element fll all portions thereof are rearwardly nispoeedrelative to the edge 15 of the ele- .rne'nt 13.

ln the majorit of the States in this country, one of the requirements ror safe operation of a motor vehicle is that the play in hch f th front steering Wheels be not greater than a prescribed maximum. For example, in the State 'of Pennsylvania, this maximum play is one-quarter ofan Accordingly, the gauge of the present invention is desigiied to indicate at a glance whether'the playthe front wheel of a motor vehicle is greater than the'niaxiniutnwhich is permitted under the State inspection regulations. 7 Thus, where the gauge is employed to check front wheel play in a State wherein the permissible' play is 'one-qiiar'ter-of an inch, as in Pennsylvania, the element 11'i's of a wi'dth 'to extend exactly one-quarter ineh r ontally ot the edge 15 of the fixed upright elementlll. p y

"In use of the device, With the arts thereof disposed as shownin'Figures 1 and 3; thedevice is placed in posiride to rovideeontaet betweenthe frontal edge'ls or the element-'11 and t lleside wall surface of the wheel undergoing examination. This wheel is, of course, jacked up from the ground, as shown, and is permitted to hang in a position of rest when the gauge is disposed in contact therewith. Thereupon, the shiftable gauge element is swung rearwardly out of wheel contact into its lowered position, as shown in Figure 4, following which the wheel is tilted laterally with respect to the vertical plane. Should the wheel tire strike the edge 15 of the fixed element 13 of the gauge device and so kick the latter out of its initially adjusted position, it becomes apparent immediately that the wheel play is greater than the prescribed permissible limit.

It will be understood, of course, that the apparatus as herein shown and described is susceptible of various changes and modifications which may be made from time to time without involving any departure from the general principles or real spirit of the present invention, and it is accordingly intended to claim the same broadly, as well as specifically, as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

l. A device for indicating play in the front wheel of a vehicle comprising a base member having a horizontally extending floor engaging part and a standard mounted in upright position on said part, and a gauge arm mounted on said standard for swinging movement about a horizontal axis'from a raised position to a lowered position, said standard and gauge arm being each made of elongated flat stock and being disposed in side abutting relation, said arm in its raised position and said standard being provided respectively with vertically extending forwardly presenting parallel narrow edges, said narrow edge of the gauge arm being disposed in forwardly spaced relation to said narrow edge of the base member.

2. A device for indicating play in the front wheel of a vehicle comprising a base member having a horizontally extending floor engaging part and a standard mounted in upright position on said part, a gauge arm mounted on said standard for swinging movement about a horizontal axis from a raised position to a lowered position, said standard and said gauge arm in its raised position being provided respectively with parallel vertically-extending V forwardly-presenting spaced wheel contacting edges adapted to selectively contact the outer face of the vehicle wheel, said gauge arm in its raised position being arranged so that its center of gravity is disposed in forwardly spaced relation to its horizontally extending piv otal axis, and abutting means operative to arrest swinging movement of said gauge arm from said raised position forwardly about said axis.

3. A device for indicating play in the'front wheel of a vehicle comprising a base member having a floor engaging part and a standard mounted in upright position on said part, a gauge arm mounted on said standard for swinging movement about a horizontal axis from a raised position to a lowered position, said standard and said gauge arm in its raised position being provided respectively with parallel vertically-extending forwardly-presenting spaced wheel-contacting edges, the wheel contacting edge of the gauge arm being adapted to engage the side wall of the wheel when the latter is suspended at rest in a vertical plane to thereby locate said wheel contacting edge of the standard a predetermined distance from said side Wall, said gauge arm being swingable out of said raised wheel engaging position to thereby expose said wheel contacting edge of the standard for contact with said wheel when the latter is rocked out of the vertical plane in which it is suspended.

4. A device for indicating play in the front wheel of a vehicle comprising a base member, a gauge arm mounted thereon for swinging movement about a horizontal axis from a raised position to a lowered position, said base member and said gauge arm in its raised position being provided respectively with vertically-extending forwardly-presenting parallel faces with the face of the gauge arm being disposed in forwardly spaced relation to said face of the base member, said gauge arm, when in its raised position, having its center of gravity disposed in forwardly spaced relation to its horizontally extending pivoted axis, and abutting means on said base member and gauge arm operative to arrest swinging movement of said gauge arm from its said raised position forwardly about its pivotal axis.

5. A device for indicating play in the front wheel of a vehicle comprising a base mmeber, a gauge arm mounted thereon for swinging movement about a horizontal axis from a raised position to a lowered position, said base member and said gauge arm in its raised position being provided respectively with vertically extending forwardlypresenting parallel faces with the face of the gauge arm being disposed in forwardly spaced relation to said face of the base member, said gauge arm, when in its lowered position, having its center of gravity disposed in rearwardly'spaced relation to'its horizontally extending pivotal axis, and abutting means on said base member and gauge arm operative to arrest swinging movement of said gauge arm from its said lowered position forwardly about its pivotal axis so that the whole of said gauge arm, when in its lowered position, is disposed to the rear of a the forwardly presenting face of said base member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,076,659 Masson Apr. 13, 1937 2,381,276 Greenleaf et al. Aug. 7, 1945 2,516,497 Wilson July 25, 1950 2,655,731 Sibble Oct. 20, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,422 Great Britain 1894 

